SP/DIF or USB
I have been experiencing a very small but annoying issue with the connection between my Aries G1 and my Qutest, using SP/DIF to the BNC input on the Qutest. I have been experiencing a slight drop-out when listening from my NAS or a streaming service which is mainly Qobuz. The drop-out is not much more than a scratch on a record and will generally only happen once after a couple of hours. After 18 months of this and because I’m getting a little stir crazy after nearly 3 months of lockdown I decided to investigate.
Reading the manuals and looking online I’ve discovered that both units really prefer to be connected by USB. I have always been of the understanding that this was an inferior connection but hay lets try it.
I pulled out a Atlas Element (s) USB cable that I was given when I bought the Aries and replaced the digital interconnect with said USB. Result, no more drop-outs over the next 5 days and the added benefit of an improvement in frequency extension and sound-stage. Who would have believed it. I thought further experiment was called for, so I purchased via eBay at a very good price a Chord Signature Tuned Aray USB cable. Comparing this with the Atlas over the next 5days I came across my usual impression that there was little difference between the two digital USB cables. I have always heard differences between analog connections but struggle with digital.
There was certainly a difference between SP/DIF & USB which I believe to be down to the electronics and not between the cables.
So without trying to start world war 3, I wondered if any of you had thoughts on this. Please don’t start a cable discussion but I’m interested in thoughts on the SP/DIF vers USB issue.
SOURCE:OPPO UDP-205 BluRay, SkyQ, Technics SL1210M5G/HexMat Eclipse/MN Bearing/Origin Live Gravity One puck/Isonoes with Boots/Jelco TK-850S Tonearm/Hana Umami Blue, PS Audio Stellar Phonostage. I also have an AT-OC9XSH as a spare cartridge.
AMPLIFIER: Bryston BR-20 Pre/DAC/Streamer & Bryston 4B3 Power Amplifier
SPEAKERS: Spendor D7 on Iso-Acoustics Gaia III’s
HEADPHONES: OPPO PM-1 with Atlas Zeno cable, B&W Pi7 S2 and B&W C5 v2.
CABLES: Analogue: Speaker Atlas Mavros Grun. Interconnect - Atlas Mavros XLR x3, MCRU Silver Tonearm cable
Digital:Audioquest Carbon Ethernet x 4, Audioquest Carbon digital, English Electric 8Switch, Chord Optichord, Atlas Optical.
Mains: PS Audio Perfectwave AC-05 x 5, Isol-8 Powerline Extreme with Quantum Science yellow fuse on input cable, Sounds Fantastic 6way Mains Blocks.
STORAGE: Synology DS216J NAS with 2 x 3Tb WD Red hard-drives. Samsung 500Gb SSD.
TV LG55B7 OLED